The teaching gesture made by this figure, in which the thumb of the proper right hand touches the little finger of the left, identifies him as Vairocana, a transcendent manifestation of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni who played an important role in certain early esoteric traditions that grew increasingly popular in China in the eighth century. The unusual wheel-like configuration at the bottom suggests that this sculpture may once have been encased within five lotus petals that could open and close.